Poration



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dummq G. C. WOODRUFF DROP SIDE CONTAINER CAR 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Aug. 23,1932.

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Reissued Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrica GRAHAM C. WOODBUFF,OF BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE L. O. L. COR

PORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE nnor SIDE CONTAINER can Original No.1,847,202, dated March 1, 1932, Serial No. 354,636, filed April 12,1929. Application for reissue filed March 9, 1932. Serial No. 597,850.

The methods generally in use for handling merchandise freight have notbeen changed in any essential aspect for a number of past prior to theadoption by the railroads of in available extra space, particularly atthe larger terminals, the freight must "often be loaded into the carcurrently as offered, which frequently results in an ill-assorted andbadly loaded car because it is not possible to reassort and properlyload freight by the old method to the best advantage.

The freight thus loaded into a car is transported to destination whereit is taken out placed in the freight house and later on picked up againand taken to the doorway for delivery to the consignees truck. Often,the freight is transferred en route, and intermediate unloading andrehandling being necessary.

The cost of handling. 1. c. 1. merchandise freight averages 120 to 150per hundred pounds each at origin and at destination or a total of morethan 250 per 100 lbs. ofexpense, which the railroad assumes for thisnecessary service at origin and destination ends.

'The container may be used in two ways; first, for transportation fromone shipper to one consignee, this in cases when one shipper alone hasenough tonnage to warrant usmg container; second, use of containers byconsolidators who substitute themselves for individual shipper orconsignee, and by gathering up large number of small shipments, producea container load very near the maximum, and act as distributors atdestination.

The advantages to the shipper are; saving in total trans ortation costs,saving in cost of heavy woo en cases, as packing cases are unnecessarywhen shipments are made in containers; saving in tare; saving incidentto practical elimination of theft, damage or other source of loss;saving resulting in faster, better and more efficient service; and theadvantages to the railroad are-development and extension of service,having reference particularly to comparatively short haul traffic,saving of freight house labor at both origin and destination, saving ofWay bill expense; getting greater revenue per car mile incident toheavier loading; saving in equipment; saving from elimination of claimsfor pllferage and loss; saving resulting from decrease in detention ofequipment at termlnals; relief of freight house facilities.

REI'S3UED The object of my invention is-to make the container caroperation as nearly perfect as possible by dividing the car transverselywith partitions thus forming container stalls or compartments and havingshelves beside these partitions extending transversely of the car tosupport containers with orwithout legs, so as to make it possible to runa lift truck onto the car under the container, lift the container fromthe supporting shelves and remove it to a station platform, truck bodyor other support. One of the advantages of legs. on a container is thatthe lift truck may be run under the container from any one of fourpositions and place the container more satisfactorily, making it a muchmore'flexible operation, than if the lift truck could go in from one ortwo positions and to accommodate the legs of the container I provide thesupporting shelves with elongated slots or ways extending lengthwise ofthe shelf, so that the four legs of the container engaged with the slotwill act as safety devices to prevent side sway and decrease to aminimum any possibility of the container slipping ofi the 'car. Afurther object is to provide doors for the ends of the compartment whichwhen in raised position constitute the car side wall; and .with theseand other objects in view,.my invention consists of the parts andcombination of parts hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved car loadedwith containers and a liftmgr truck.

igure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged sideelevation of one end portion of the car.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Fi ure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the, rop side door open andfunctioning as a ang plank.

igure 6 is an enlarged detail view looking at the end oftthe supportinshelf, which is shown in elevation at the le t and in section at theright, the car partition being in section.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail top plan of the empty car.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the car partition,supporting shelf and container,=showing the cooperation of the saidshelf and a lock for the container door.

Figure 9 is a vertical section through car and container, showing thecoo eration of the supporting shelf and a lock or the container door,this view being at right an les to Figure 8, and showing the drop sideoor open.

Figure 10 is a detail top plan of the partition and a portion of thecar.

Figure 11 is an end elevation of the shelf support adapted for containerlegs, the shelf being secured to the car floor and partition.

Figure 12 is a erspective view of a portion of a. car loa ed withcontainers, and a lift truck on the car under a. container in the act ofdepositing or removing a container from the car.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 12 showing the lift truck leavingthe car after having deposited the container on the supporting shelves,the drop door functioning as.

a ang plank.

or the purposes of illustrating my'invention I have shown acar 14 of thegondola type divided into compartments 15 by means of the transversepartitions 16, which are provided with container guides 17, which centerthe containers 18 in the compartments 15 as they are being loaded andalso hold the containers from shifting while en route. These containersare provided with a door or. doors 19 of approved type and construction,provided with approved locking bolts 20, 21, whichare connected at theirinner ends to a bar 22, keyed to a spindle 23 to which is also rigidlysecured the operating handle 24. The outer end of the bolt.20, when inlocked position roject-s through'the top of the door into the eeper 25in the top of the door frame, while the outer, end of bolt 21, in lockedposition, projects through the bottom stile of the door into a keeperformed in the threshold 26 of the door frame, and is provided with arecess 27 into which one end of the dog 28 is adapted to lock to holdthe bolt 21 against 0 eration as will be hereinafter described. let itbe understood that I do not in this application claim the containerlocking device by the underframe, although not necessarily.

At the ends of each shelf '29 I pivotally mount a container retainer lugor hook 31, which when in the operative position showing in Figures 4,6, hold the container from slipping endwise off the sup orting shelf 29.This dog is provided wit an arm 32 to which is loosely secured theoperating link 33. A link latch housing 34 is secured to the end of thesupport 29 and is provided with a recess 35 to receive the link 33.\Vithin the housing 34 is an inclined slide way 36 provided on which alatch 37 is slidably mounted and provided with an operating handle 38which moves in the elongated slot 39 in the housing. When the retaininglug 31 and link 33 are in the position shown in Figure 6 the latch 37has been moved to lock the link 33 in that position and also lock thelug 31 in its locked position, whereby the retaining lug 31 is heldagainst movement. To release the lug 31 for the purpose of removing acontainer, the latch 37 is moved to the left whereupon the link 33 isfree to swing or be n this connection moved outward and rotate theretaining lug 31 on the pivot 40 to the position shown in Figure 5.

The drop sides or doors 41 are positioned ateach end of thecompartment15 and are secured to the car by means of the hinges 42 of any approvedtype. An extension 43 is hinged at 44 to the top edge of the d ors 41which, when the doors are open, as shown in Figure'9 functions as arunway for a truck to travel onto the door 41, and thence into thecompartment 15. While the doors 41 are in elevated or locked positionacross the end of the compartment 15 the runway 43 is folded backagainst the inner face of the door 41 as shown in Figure 4, the door 41being locked in its closed position. by means of hooks 45 pivoted at 46to the bulkhead or partition 16, the hook end embracing the upper edgeof the door, and in order to prevent these hooks 45 from jolting outofoperative position I provide a safety catch 47, pivoted at 48 to thebulkhead 16 with its forward end abutting the rear end of the hook 45above its pivot 46. The doors 41, and runway 43 are provided withsuitable bracing angle irons to assist in supporting a load -'the shelf49, I prefer to make these shelves 4 49 of such height, that when thecontainer 18 rests on them the legs 51 will be free from contact withthe floor of the'car. With the legs 51 in position in'the slots 50 andthe weight on the shelves 4 9 I find it makes a much better load on thecar, and the four legs engaging with the slots will act as safetydevices, to prevent side sway of the container and decrease to a minimumany possibility of the container getting off the car.

While I have shown the door 19 of the con-.

I tainers against the bulkheads and next to fore the drop side doors, Iprefer that all doors face forward in the direction 7 the car is moving,therebygiving absolute protection against pilfering while the containersare on the car.

i As an additional safety againstpilfering v I provide the locking dog28 heretofore referred to, which, when the container is resting on alatform 'canno't be,operated, but which couFd be operated when thecontainer is supported inthe shelves 29 and 19. Thereprovide a rod keyedto the d 28 and secured to the other end of the ro a locking dog 53,which when the container is supported onthe shelves, comesin contactwith the upper face of the shelf, as shown in Figure 9, and so long asit is in that position the dog 28 cannot be operated. As

stated this locking feature forms the subject matter of anotherapplication filed by me.

Inusing my invention mixed conslgnments can be handled from point ofOIlglIl to numerous destinations on a container basis,

rather than box car basis; that'is'to say, load 7 I in one container carsix or seven containers,

with consignments to separate points so that the container car, whenready to run, would have each container for a different designation,loaded with 5,000 up to 10,000 lbs. This would mean that the-car wouldstop at first destination the" container removed, and if there was anempty or loaded container available, it would be loaded on the car. Itwill also be obvious that by my invention containerscould be left out atthe desired stations in the middle of the night with no necessity forthe station being open, as they {would be locked so long as they rest onthe station platform and the contents fully as safe as would freight inthe station warehouse itself. is should mean in actual operation thesaving of a very considerable number of box cars, both as to investment,maintenance,

' operation over the load, yard switching and what is more important,the savin of station house track space, which is o ten at a greatpremium and impossible to increase, except at a prohibitive expense atthe larger terminals.

A still further possible and practical use of this container methodwould be the practical elimination of the way freightservice,

which means that a pedler car is unloaded manually by train crew at thesmaller stations. Through the'proper complementary trucking arrangementsfreight could be left at larger stations and trucked to the smallerstations where it would not be good ractice to even stop the train, andmany sma ler stations which do not handle enough freight traflic to aythe cost of operating the station could be c osed and at the same timegive shippers and receivers at such points improved service, as comparedwith what they are now getting.

I What I claim is 1. In combination, a freight container car havingdrop'sides and transverse bulkheads intermediate its ends, hooks securedto the bulkheads and adapted to engage and support said sides in theirelevated positions, and means holding said hook in its operativeposition.

2. In" combination, a freight container car having drop sides, andtransverse bulkheads intermediate its endsfhooks secured to thebulkheads and adapted toengage and support said sides in their elevatedposition, and a safety latch pivoted to the bulkhead and adapted toengage and lock the hook in its operative position. I I

3. In combination, a container car having transverse bulkheadsintermediate its ends dividing the car into compartments, containersupports arranged adjacent the bulkheads and adapted to. support acontainer on the car with its bottom above the floor of the car, andcontainer guides secured to the bulkheads above the said supports.

4. In combination, a container'car, transverse. bulkheads secured on thecar intermediate' its ends, a container support on two opposite sides ofeach compartment adapted to support a container with its bottom abovethe floor of thecar, and means on the end of each support to hold thecontainer against transments adapted to-receive containers, a,'container support on opposite sides of said compartment adapted tosupport a container on a car, means on each'of said supports to hold thecontainer against shifting transversely of the car, and guides to guidethe con-" tainers in position on each side of the bulktainer supportsarranged 1 the end of each attachm ent afiording helds- 1.

6. In combination, a container car, bulkheads arranged transversely ofthe car intermediate its 'ends and dividing the car into compartmentscontainer supports positioned at opposite sides in each compartment, astop pivotally secured to each end of the container.

support, means to move said stop into operative position, and latch tolock said means against movement to hold the stop in its operativeposition. Y

7. In comblnation, a container car, con- .tainer su ports arranged inpairs transversely of sai car, movab e stops secured to each end of eachsup ort and adapted to be moved "in a position a ove the horlzontalplane of the support to hold a container on said supports againstshifting transversely of the car, and means to lock said stop in itsoperative position.

- 8. In combination, a container car, con-- and exten mg transverselythereof and a slot extending from end to end in said supports adapted toreceive the legs of containers placed on said supports. I

9. The combinatlon with a carrier for a multiplicity-of less-than thecarrier-capacity contamers of a setpience of parall barrier attachmentse ective to sup rt t e individual containers elevated an as tolongitudinal movement, and verticallyswingable gravity-influenced hookdevice; at a utments to prevent lateral-shifting of said corita ners.

- 10. In combination, a container car having sides and transversebulkheads interme iate its ends, fastening members carried by thebulkheads and adapted to engage and support said sides in their elevatedpositions, and means for holding said members in operative position. 5

. Y 11. In combination, a container car having dro sides and transversebulkheads interme iate its ends, fastening members carried by thebulkheads and adapted to engage and support said sides in their elevatedposition,

' means for holding said members in operative position, and means to engo and hold the container against lateral s ifting movement.

12. In combination, a container car having drop sides, transversebulkheads secured on the car and forming compartments intermediate itsends, a container support on two opposite sides of each compartment adated to'support a container with its bottom vs the floor of the car,means at the end of each support to hold the container againsttransverse movements relative to the car, and means at the ends of eachbulkhead toengage and support the drop sides in elevated position.

eombinatioma container ear, bulkheads transversel of the car intermediate its ends and divi ing the car into.

compartments container supports positioned at opposite sides ingeachcompartment, a stop pivotally-secured to'jeach end of the containersupport, and a latch to-hold the stop in its operative position. I

14. In combination, a container car, container su ports arranged inpairs transverse- 1y of sai car, and movable stops secured to each endof each'support and adapted to be moved from a position below' to aposition above the horizontalplane of the supports to hold a containeron said'sup'ports against shifting transversel of the car.

GRAH M O. WOODRUFF.

in pairs on said car restrained

